Stock Market Updates: Sensex jumps 450 pts, Nifty above 26,250;

Daily Update, Business

Sensex Today | Stock Market Updates: Indian equities opened modestly higher on Friday, the second trading day of the year, as investors positioned for a flurry of corporate updates ahead of the quarterly earnings season. The Sensex and Nifty are on course for a slight weekly gain, though persistent foreign portfolio outflows continued to temper risk appetite.

Stock Market Updates:

The Indian equity market ended the first trading session of the year on a flat note on Thursday, with the Sensex easing marginally and the Nifty inching higher, as gains in IT heavyweights helped buffer losses triggered by a sharp slide in ITC after the government announced a fresh tax on cigarettes.

The BSE Sensex slipped 32 points, or 0.04%, to close at 85,188.60, while the NSE Nifty 50 added 17 points, or 0.06%, to settle at 26,146.55, remaining conveniently above the 26,100 level.

Global Markets Updates

S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% as of 12:25 p.m. tokyo time
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2%
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 2.2%
Euro Stoxx 50 futures fell 0.6%

Indian stock markets less expensive than US despite elevated valuations: Report
Indian stock markets look cheaper than those in the US based on a key appraisal measure. Despite being above historical averages, Indian markets are considered fairly valued. This is due to strong earnings growth and a positive economical outlook. Bond yields have also fallen, supporting this view. Higher market valuations are expected in the coming quarters.

Precious metals kick off the New Year higher after a robust 2025 rally
Precious metals kicked-started the New Year on a strong note on Friday, resuming their rally after unprecedented gains in 2025, as ‌geopolitical tensions and ‌hopes of lower interest rates this year kept safe-haven demand intact.
Spot gold climbed 1.5% to $4,378.75 per ounce as of 0553 GMT, after hitting a record high of $4,549.71 on December 26. It fallen to a two-week low on Wednesday.
U.S. gold futures for February delivery gained 1.2% to $4,392.20/oz.

Spot platinum was up 2.5% at $2,105.48 per ounce, after rising to an all-time high of $2,478.50 on Monday, and it also staged its largest gain in a year ever, having climbed 127%.
Palladium rose 2.1% to $1,639.12 per ounce, closing the previous year up 76%, its best in 15 years.

The benchmark equity indexes Sensex and Nifty traded over half a percent higher on Friday, tracking firm global cues and buying interest in index heavyweights.

At around 12:30 p.m., the Sensex advanced 475.51 points or 0.56 percent to 85,664.11, while the wider Nifty rose to 26,300.30, up 153.75 points or 0.59 percent.

Hindalco Industries, Coal India and Bharat Electronics were the top gainers in the Nifty50 pack, rising up to 2 percent, while ITC and Bajaj Auto were the major laggards, declining up to 4 percent. Market breadth was positive as about 2183 shares advanced, 1204 shares declined and 165 shares unchanged.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty started Friday’s (January 2, 2026) trading session on an optimistic note as steady buying by domestic institutional investors and a rally in blue-chip Reliance Industries drove the stock markets higher in early trade.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 158.19 points to 85,346.79 in early trade. The 50-share NSE NIFTY went up by 55.8 points to 26,202.35.

From the 30-Sensex firms, Asian Paints, Maruti, Bharat Electronics, NTPC, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finance and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles were among the largest gainers.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty started Friday’s (January 2, 2026)

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 158.19 points to 85,346.79 in early trade. The 50-share NSE NIFTY went up by 55.8 points to 26,202.35.

From the 30-Sensex companies, Asian Paints, Maruti, Bharat Electronics, NTPC, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finance and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles were among the biggest gainers.

Positive global cues: In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Shanghai’s SSE Composite and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng were trading in the positive territory. US futures were also higher by up to 0.7 percent, indicating a firm start for the Wall Street later in the day.

Buying in large-caps: Buying was seen in large-cap stocks, with Reliance Industries gaining almost 1 percent for the second consecutive session.

“The monthly sales data from auto companies as well as business updates from other sectors signal a likely improvement in December quarter earnings, lifting markets…,” G Chokkalingam, founder and head of research at Mumbai-based Econometrics Research told Reuters.

Steady purchasing by DIIs: A steady purchases by domestic institutional investors supported the market.

“Steady domestic institutional inflows continue to provide wider support, helping offset aggressive selling by foreign investors,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, said.

A positive earnings season, followed by a favorable union budget and a potential trade agreement with the U.S., will act as the triggers to lift markets higher after the consolidation in 2025, Chokkalingam said Reuters.

Rupee increases: In the currency market, the rupee traded in a narrow range in the morning session and appreciated by 6 paise to 89.92 against the US dollar. Forex traders said the USD/INR pair is expected to remain range-bound as the 90 level is being protected by the Reserve Bank of India, even as positive domestic equities were compensated by sustained foreign fund outflows.

Buying in auto shares: Auto shares extended their gains as companies began releasing their December sales numbers. The Nifty Auto index rose nearly 1%, marking its fourth straight session of gains.

VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, said

“The impressive 25.8 % YoY increase in passenger vehicles sales in December bodes well for the auto industry. More importantly, this data confirms the growth momentum in the economy. It has to be watched whether this growth sustains, albeit at a slower pace, going ahead. It is hugely important that the growth momentum in the economy sustains, because that alone can ensure the much needed earnings growth that the market needs to remain resilient and gradually move up.”